When year 2000 came to an end. one of the major questions within the energy industry was whether price decontrol, as far as it had gone, was good or had. Was the government's effort to open the energy industry to "market control," rather than a government agency setting prices, a good move? The banking business, airlines, and telecommunications were deregulated and some very obvious benefits could be seen. Decontrol of these industries has brought good but there are weaknesses as well. Sure, long-distance rates have dropped to where many long-distance calls are in the 5 to 10 cent-per-minute range. But, the second-largest telecommunication company is in bankruptcy and there is a move by the major telephone companies to start raising the rates for long-distance services. Making a profit is the name of the game and the phone people are hurting.
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